Persistence of Memory
by Starsister12
Summary: When strange creatures begin appearing, only information stored in the Archives can help save the O.Z. But the Archives have been sealed and Madeline the Bibliophile is missing. Can Glitch, DG, Cain, & Raw find her in time...and mentally intact? GlitchxOC


Chapter 1

_**The Search Begins**_

All was calm. The air was crisp, cooling towards autumn, but without the frost and deep chill that signified the proximity of winter. The last vestiges of summer still gave the auburn evening sunlight some strength. A small, gray figure moved along the front steps of a log cabin, sweeping away the daily offering of forest debris. The sudden honking of geese made the woman pause and look up, shading her face from the slowly sinking sun. Her clear and thoughtful eyes followed the single-minded V-formation as the geese made their annual migration southward to warmer climes. It was the same as it had been every year…and yet for some reason, this time there seemed to be a pall cast upon the air. _Night is coming_, she thought, and suddenly shivered as if chilled by a passing wind.

--

_Night's coming_, Glitch noted idly, trying to unsuccessfully stifle a yawn. It had been yet another long and very tiring day. Not that a little darkness would stop the work; he'd probably be pulling another all-nighter at this rate. _Putting an entire kingdom back together is a lot of work_, he thought with a slight grin, stretching his arms towards the ceiling before reaching for the next sheet from the never-shrinking pile of paper on his desk.

It had been nearly two months since D.G. had vanquished the evil Witch of the Dark, saved her sister Azkadellia from the Witch's clutches, and restored her mother and father to their rightful places on the throne of the O.Z. Everyone had been working nonstop to try to put the kingdom back in order. There was so much to do! The Longcoats had to be rounded up to keep from terrorizing the countryside, notices about the defeat of the Witch and the restoration of the O.Z. had to be sent out, aid and shelter for those displaced or harmed by the Witch's tyranny had to be dispatched, petitions had to be listened to, read, weighed, stamped, signed, and catalogued…the list went on and on.

_At least I've got all my marbles to handle the work detail this time_, Glitch thought, absently rubbing the zipper on his head. He smiled slightly, remembering how D.G. had insisted that they put his brain back in his head where it belonged first thing, and how Cain had good-naturedly grumbled about not being able to call Glitch "Zipper-Head" anymore. Glitch had kept the zipper, although even he wasn't quite sure why. He still wasn't used to being called "Ambrose" again either, and his three friends still called him Glitch anyway, so he decided to keep the name, at least for a while. He'd gotten rather fond of it over the past ten years…but it was still nice to not have inconvenient holes in his memory. None of the others realized how much that had crippled him, or how much it had hurt all those years, not knowing exactly who he was or used to be and feeling like he should be able to do something but didn't remember how…

Suddenly the door opened and three mismatched figures tumbled into the room.

"I swear, if I have to look at one more column of granary figures, I am going to scream!" said D.G., running her fingers distractedly through her long black hair, brilliant blue eyes snapping sparks. "What are you working on, Glitch?" she asked, skipping over to the desk and peering over his shoulder at the pile of papers.

The reinstated Royal Advisor grinned. "Supply figures for the barracks."

D.G. groaned and slumped into one of the chairs scattered along the walls. Even as a princess of the O.Z., the young woman still preferred wearing men's shirts and breeches similar to the jeans she had worn when she arrived two months ago, rather than in the dresses that her sister Azkadellia favored. Not traditional, but infinitely more practical.

Glitch looked up at the tall, silent man in the gray coat and broad-brimmed hat who had come in behind D.G. "How are your troops coming along, Cain? Still rounding up Longcoats?"

Wyatt Cain, former Tin Man and now head of the Royal Guard, leaned up against the window sill, hand resting near his holster with the unconsciousness of a natural and experienced gunfighter. "They're still getting used to the idea of working on the side of the law rather than outside it, but they're coming along. Most of the Longcoats are already behind bars, only one or two small contingents out in the hill country. We'll have them in pretty soon." He grinned slightly. "It's ironic that now _they're_ the resistance and _we're_ the ones in coats."

"Coming in pretty good, no need to fight now that Witch dead," added Raw, the shaggy and once-cowardly Viewer who had been with them since D.G. had found him trapped in the fields of the Papé. He had been helping Cain interrogate incoming prisoners to determine their guilt or innocence, as well as to find out who needed help from the crown. It was a long, time-consuming process, but Raw was happy to help his friends any way he could.

For a moment Glitch truly relaxed, completely comfortable in the special camaraderie that could only come from facing so many shared dangers. The special bond that the four friends shared had only strengthened over the past several weeks, even though there were very few chances for them to relax together in the midst of all the commotion.

Suddenly there came a polite rap on the door. "Excuse me my lady, gentlemen," said a man dressed in midnight blue livery, "but the King and Queen would like to speak with you immediately on a matter of some urgency."

Cain glanced at Glitch, who shrugged slightly shaking his head. He didn't know what this was about. _I've been glued to this chair for the past two days going over reports_, Glitch thought with wry amusement as they followed the footman to the Queen's chambers. He idly wondered if the sudden summons had anything to do with the mysterious errand that King Ahamo had disappeared off on a week or so ago. For some reason it had been kept very hush-hush, and no one, save the Queen herself, seemed to know exactly what that errand had been.

Queen Lavender was waiting for them with her husband and D.G.'s sister, Azkadellia. The elder of the two princesses smiled, a little shyly, and embraced her sister tightly. Even after two months, Azkadellia seemed a little unsure of her welcome, as if she expected everyone to start reviling her or shunning her. After nearly fifteen years of being possessed and having people see her do or order horrible atrocities, it was no wonder she was still a little nervous. D.G. was working hard to help Az rediscover her courage and confidence.

"Welcome, my friends," the Queen said, graciously inclining her head. "Please, take a seat. There is a matter of great urgency that we must discuss." Glitch noticed that Ahamo looked rather tired, as if he'd been riding hard for several days with little or no rest.

Once they were seated, Queen Lavender took a slight breath, and began speaking with unaccustomed abruptness. "This is a matter which concerns the Archives of the O.Z."

Glitch started, images of the huge, arched halls lined with reams upon reams of books and scrolls of uncounted age and worth bathed in the soft, golden light unique to the ancient building filling his mind. _The Archives…_

"Twelve days ago," the Queen continued, not noticing Glitch's brief lapse in attention, "my husband traveled to the Archives to seek the aid of the Bibliophile as we restore the O.Z."

"Excuse me, mother," D.G. interrupted, "but my memory's a little hazy. What's this…Bibliophile? And I thought the Archives were here in the palace."

"I'm sorry, D.G., I suppose you were a little young to remember," Queen Lavender said with a gentle smile. "It is true that we do have a small collection here, but the selection is very limited and most of them are copies. The originals, along with all the knowledge and history of the O.Z., are contained in the Archives in the mountains of the east. It is kept isolated to preserve the ancient scripts and prevent them from being easily taken or accessed."

Cain frowned. "So…did you have to send someone on a long hike every time you needed a book?"

The Queen shook her head. "No. There is a magic portal here in the palace that allows a select number of people who are keyed to it to pass through into the Archives. It is an old magic set up by the very first Bibliophile."

"Okay," said D.G., "so my first question remains: what's a Bibliophile? Like, some kind of souped-up librarian?"

"Essentially, yes," Glitch answered. "The Bibliophile is the keeper and guardian of the Archives and all the knowledge contained within it. Even the rulers of the O.Z. don't know exactly when or how they came to be or even how a new Bibliophile is selected. There's always one ready to take charge when the old on retires, and they've all been unfailingly loyal to the throne." He looked at the Queen curiously. "But, since the Bibliophile has always been loyal, what is the problem with the Archives?"

Ahamo passed a hand across his eyes. "They've been sealed."

Glitch stared, open-mouthed with shock. "Madeline sealed the Archives?!"

Cain shot a look at Glitch. "Madeline?"

"Yes, she's the current Bibliophile," Glitch answered absently. "Or, at least, she was fifteen years ago."

D.G. sat blot upright, eyes widening with recognition. "Miss Minni! She's the Bibliophile?" Seeing the bemused looks from Cain and Raw, she explained, "Miss Minni was my nickname for her, 'cause she was really tiny. She taught Az and me reading and writing, didn't she, Az?"

Azkadellia smiled and nodded. "That's right. She was always so _very_ patient with us."

"Yes, Madeline Scribble, the youngest Bibliophile in the history of the Outer Zone," said Queen Lavender softly. "And it seems that she's been missing for the past ten years."

"What do you mean?" Glitch asked, a little more sharply than he had intended, earning looks from his three friends. "Isn't she in the Archives?"

Ahamo shook his head. "No. The magic portal that connects the palace and the Archives has been severed, which is why I had to take the long way around. It seems that the Pages, her helpers, have been taking care of things, keeping the Archives sealed all these years. They refuse to let anyone in, even members of the royal family until Bibliophile Madeline returns."

"So…does anyone have any idea what happened to her?" Cain asked, a frown on his face.

Azkadellia looked up and then down again, a nervous and sad expression on her face. "She was…she was captured by Longcoats and imprisoned," the elder princess said softly, hands clenched tightly together. "I—I'm not sure how long she stayed her or what I, I mean, what the Witch did to her…but I know she's not here anymore."

"Well, I hate to be the voice of doom," said Cain grimly, "but isn't it possible that the Witch had Madeline killed?"

"That is impossible for two reasons," said the Queen. "First, if Madeline had died, a new Bibliophile would have come forward to take her place and would be able to unseal the Archives. Second…" she paused.

"Second," Glitch finished in a low voice, "the Witch would have found Madeline too valuable to toss her aside so lightly. But you said that Madeline definitely isn't in the prison anymore…"

"So either Madeline managed to escape, which is highly unlikely, or something happened to make her useless to the Witch," Cain finished.

D.G. looked thoughtful. "But why all the rush? We've been here nearly two months working and yet the Archives have never been mentioned, at least in my hearing. So why is it so important to open the Archives now? Not that I'm saying we shouldn't look for Madeline," she added quickly, "but why is it such a priority now?"

"Because the Dark is stirring."

All eyes in the room turned to Azkadellia.

"What do you mean by 'the Dark is stirring'?" asked Cain.

Raw shivered. "Bad things coming. Old things. Dark things."

D.G. placed a comforting hand on her sister's arm as Azkadellia took a deep breath and began to speak. "When…when the Witch possessed the emerald and tried locking the suns behind the moon during the eclipse, for a few moments, she succeeded. If D.G. hadn't pulled me out and if you three hadn't stopped the machine, the suns would have remained locked forever and the darkness would have been complete." She paused. "The Witch was thwarted, but in that brief time of utter darkness, the surge of power started waking things up. I, I mean, the Witch, could feel some of them stirring, old, dark things that have lain long dormant in the earth."

"We are facing the possibility of invasion," the Queen said, eyes shadowed with worry, "an invasion of darkness from creatures so ancient that they pass beyond living memory. That is why we need Madeline now, to open the Archives once again so that we can find out what we are up against and how we can defeat it."

--

Their search began in the dungeons. Azkadellia had been unable to tell them very much about the circumstances of Madeline's capture and imprisonment. "It's like there's a fog separating me from most of the memories of what the Witch did while…while she possessed me. I'm sure that Raynz was there, though; perhaps he can tell you more."

Glitch was not looking forward to seeing the Witch's right hand scientist and engineer, but he refused to be left behind, not if there was the slightest clue to Madeline's fate and whereabouts. He could not forgive himself for not asking about Madeline sooner. _I guess I thought she'd stayed safe in the Archives all this time, that she'd be there just waiting for the right time to reappear…_

The gears clanked and groaned as the gate to Raynz's cell rose. Inside, moaning and mumbling, huddled the pathetic wreak of a man. With the failure of his precious Anti-Sunseeder, the fall of the Witch, and the rebellion of Raw, Raynz's mind had shattered. How much did he remember from those days of darkness?

Silently, the four friends entered the cell, Cain carrying a pair of restraints and D.G. holding a mirror. Raynz's head lolled, eyes wandering from face to face with no sign of recognition, face twisted in an idiotic grin with drool running down his chin. Cain levered him into a sitting position, pulled his arms behind his back, and placed them in the restraints. This was a necessary precaution since they weren't sure how he would react when Raw tried to read him. The former scientist didn't resist, still grinning idiotically…until he saw Raw.

An inhuman shriek of rage and fear tore through the air as Raynz's eyes bulged in their sockets and he tried to twist away, but the restraints combined with Cain's unyielding strength held him in place. Raw approached and gently, almost tenderly laid his hands on Raynz's head, ignoring the frantic, incomprehensible howls. D.G. came up beside Raw, angling the mirror so that she, Cain, and Glitch could see whatever images Raw managed to glean from Raynz.

Suddenly Raynz stopped writhing, held frozen by the force of Raw's mental probe. Glitch saw random images, flashing and jumbling together so quickly that they made no sense, a chaotic mess of memory. Raw's brow furrowed deeply with concentration as he tried to sort through the mental chaos and pick out the relevant fragments.

Suddenly, an image flashed and held within the mirror. A young woman was being dragged by several Longcoats, her arms tightly bound behind her. They shoved her roughly forward and she staggered, trying to catch her balance. She tossed her head back, glaring at the Longcoats. The simple bun holding back her ash-blond hair was coming undone, falling into a pair of smoldering gray eyes shielded by large, oval glasses.

D.G. looked up at Glitch. "Is that her?"

He nodded slightly, eyes fixed on the image. "Yes, that's Madeline."

Cain and D.G. shared a glance that went unnoticed by Glitch.

The image shifted and the woman Madeline was standing before the Witch. Even now it was hard for Glitch to remember that the Witch was possessing Azkadellia's body, that they were actually two separate people.

_"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little bookworm come crawling out of her dark hole,"_ said the Witch in the mirror, smirking. _"I'm so very glad you could come join us."_

Madeline stared back, unblinking, voice steady. _"Where is the Queen?"_

_"Oh, don't worry. I'll be taking care of her soon enough."_ The Witch leaned closer. _"But for now, you have something I want."_

_"I refuse."_

The Witch smiled. _"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter. Bring in Lylo!"_

_"Excuse me, Sorceress," _said one of the Longcoats, a little nervously, _"but wouldn't it be simpler to go get the book from the Archives?"_

_"Perhaps, but the Archives have been sealed against me," _the Witch replied dismissively. She smiled, putting a finger under Madeline's chin and tilting her face up until their eyes met. _"And it really doesn't matter, does it, my dear? After all, what is a Bibliophile, but a living, breathing copy of the entire contents of the Archives?"_

There was a sudden hint of fear in Madeline's wide gray eyes. _"Az,"_ she said softly. _"Az, it's Miss Minni. Do you remember me? I used to teach you and D.G. You have to concentrate. You have to listen to me."_

_"Do you think a little reminiscing is going to save you?" _the Witch laughed derisively.

Madeline's face and tone changed from warmth to ice in a split second. _"I wasn't talking to you,"_ she said coldly. Then her voice changed again, taking on a tone of gentleness, but also urgency. _"Az, listen to me. You have to fight her. Do you hear me? You must resist! If you don't, all will be lost! Fight her, Az! Fight her!"_

The Witch's face contorted with anger and she struck Madeline hard across her face. The Bibliophile staggered slightly from the force of the blow, but did not cry out. A small line of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

_"You are going to regret that,"_ the Witch hissed softly. She motioned sharply as two Longcoats returned with a Viewer in tow. _"Hook her up!"_

The image dissolved into a confused mixture of flashes: straps being pulled tight on Madeline's wrists, the Viewer closing his eyes, the Witch pacing around them, Madeline's face contorted in a silent scream as electricity coursed through her slender frame, a tank of glowing, bubbling water with the picture of a book suspended in it with the pages being turned by some invisible hand, and a satisfied smile curving across the Witch's face. Then the vision faded into the blank surface of a mirror once again.

"Where's Madeline?" Glitch demanded, his voice sounding harsh in his own ears. "What did you do with her?"

Raynz's eyes rolled madly, a leer snaking across his gaunt features. "Ah…the little librarian," he hissed in an almost normal voice. "Not wanted…useless… unwanted…useless…unwanted…cast off to die in the Realms…useless, worthless little bitch!"

Cain released his grip on Raynz, allowing the madman to slide, giggling hysterically, back down onto the floor. He undid the restraints and motioned to the others. "Let's go," the former Tin Man said gruffly. "We got what we came for."

"What do you mean?" Glitch demanded, not budging an inch. "What have we learned?"

"We learned that this Bibliophile of yours was here," Cain replied. "That the Witch got something out of her, probably something important. And…" He paused for a moment.

"And what?" D.G. asked, concerned.

"And that, once the Witch was done with her, she was cast into the Realm of the Unwanted."

--


End file.
